Indie Film Spotlight: The Nextshift
Written AND Directed by: Adio Ash
The NextShift is a story about identity and the longing for acceptance. As humans, we are conditioned to seek that sense of belonging.
I struggled with my own identity for many years. As a Nigerian-born immigrant growing up in an affluent Boston suburb, I never quite fit in. It shaped me. It created an insatiable urge to prove myself.
That urge led me to a 15-year independent film career. But as a young adult, it also put me in dangerous situations whenever my manhood or my Blackness was questioned.
That is the inspiration for The NextShift.
It is inspired by my life—dramatizing a dark path I could have taken based on some poor decisions I made while trying to impress new teammates on my basketball team.
The film is a thriller that follows a suburban kid who relocates to the inner city after his parents’ divorce. Desperate to prove himself to his new squad, he begrudgingly becomes an accomplice to a crime that could ruin his future as a promising basketball star.
This is a scrappy, low-budget indie that I wrote, directed, shot, and edited. I wouldn’t recommend wearing that many hats. But I am determined to tell my own stories. If I have to start this phase of my career doing every job myself, so be it.
Instagram: @adioash / @theNextShiftfilm
